Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 26, 1915.djvu/167

 Collectanea, 157

root it up. A man made the attempt with twelve oxen, but could not move the tree ; afterwards, in looking over the oxen, he found that one of them had one black hair upon it, and this had spoiled the charm. Ultimately the tree was cut down, the spell was broken, and the treasure became irrecoverable. (1880.)

Kent. — In 1 86 1 I was told that in the woods near Sevenoaks there was often found a venomous snake called the deaf adder. It could never hear the sound of approaching footsteps, but, if it caught sight of anyone, it would follow him, no matter where or to what distance, until it had given him a bite, which always proved fatal. Along its back was written :

If I could hear as well as I can see

Nobody should escape from me. (1861.)

I was told in 1875 that the portcullis was down at Quay Gate, Sandwich, at the time when the French were invading England. King John came to the gate, he was in a private dress, and he asked to be admitted. "No," said the sentinel. The king repeated his demand. "Not if you were the king of England," said the sentinel, " and if you don't go away I'll give you a whack on the head." Next day the king came in state, and said : " We must have a fight ; you said you'd give me a whack on the head."

(i875.)_ London. — Passing through Duke Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in May, 1894, some children asked me to give some money for the

grave of Tommy on the Tubs. The grave was a design worked in grass upon the pavement. I asked the meaning of it, the children only smiled ; I asked who was Tommy on the Tubs, and they said he was a man who used to work in the Covent Garden Market, and was drowned on the Embankment.^ (1894.)

July 19th, 1895. ^ s^w ^ ^^^ stones piled up to a height of about six inches, on the top some leaves, grass and flowers ; in

^Cf. Folk-Lore, vol. v. (1894), p. 290 sqq.